Exam Time
by whitestranger
Summary: 5 college students have to take pass their final or lose their dreams of becoming Crime Scene Investigators. Guess who's giving the test.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I do not own CSI or the character Gil Grissom. I am not making money off this story, so don't sue me.

Author's note: I wrote this story as part of an assignment for my forensics class. After I turned it in, I started to wonder how it rated not as an assignment, but as a story. Please let me know what you think.

Professor Davidson looked over his five failing students. Each one was in danger of not graduating from University of Nevada due to their terrible marks in _Forensics: Catching the Crook_. All five were aware of this, and all five stared nervously back at their silent professor.

"I have watched you this semester," he said, finally speaking, "You are all brilliant, there's no denying it. You have the eyes that can see things that others miss, and that is needed in this field. Yet, you're failing, and it's all due to these horrible essays."

The students seemed to shrink inward with each word. They hated disappointing Professor Davidson. He had been their mentor for the last four years, and had encouraged them to in their quest to become Crime Scene Investigators. Now all those late night study sessions, and extra tutoring were going to be for nothing.

"I have talked to the administration," he continued, "and have gotten permission for you five to take a special exam. This exam will decide if you pass or fail my class. It will count towards 75 of your final grade. This is your only chance, pass or fail."

"Professor?"

"Yes, Anna?"

Anna Wint, a young woman with shoulder-length blond hair and bright eyes, looked nervously at Davidson. She carefully asked, "When will the exam take place?"

Davidson was interrupted, as the door to the lecture hall was opened and a tall older man with close-cropped brown hair and graying temples walked in with a stack of papers and a large silver carrying case. "Class," Davidson said, " Meet Gil Grissom. Mr. Grissom, meet my students."

"Class," said Grissom, with a nod.

"As for the exam, Anna, it starts now. Have fun," and with that Davidson strode out.

Before anyone could speak, Grissom walked over to Davidson's desk and set the papers and case down. Turning to the still quiet class, Grissom motioned for them to take their seats. Surveying them, Grissom said, "I will be administering the exams. There will be a different test for each you. During the tests, only the one taking it will be permitted to speak. If anyone else talks, everyone fails. When you are done with your test, leave quietly, and do not enter again until everyone is done. Now, we will start with Anna Wint."

Anna walked slowly to the professor's desk and waited for instructions.

"Miss Wint, your paper over testing for the presence of blood was the worst all your grades. Tell me, how does a person test for blood?"

"Sir," she began, "you can test for blood by spraying an object or area with certain chemicals. Three examples of those chemicals are phenolphthalein, leuco-malachite green, and hydrogen-peroxide. After you have sprayed the object or area you are testing, you watch for a reaction that would indicate the presence of blood. For the three chemicals I already named, phenolphthalein would turn a pink-red color, leuco-malachite green would become a blue/green color, and hydrogen-peroxide would produce bubbles."

"Why would someone test for blood?"

"To find out if an object is the weapon used in an attack or homicide, or if an area is the site where an attack or homicide took place."

When Anna stopped speaking, Grissom opened the case, and took out a kitchen knife, a rock, a baseball, and three vials. "Miss Wint, those three chemicals you named are in these vials. Now, find me the murder weapon."

Anna set to work, and five minutes later reported, "Sir, the weapon was the rock."

"Are you positive?"

"Yes sir. I used a dropper to let three drops of phenolphthalein fall on the rock, and the rock turned pink-red. I used another dropper to let three drops of leuco-malachite green drop onto the rock, and it turned blue/green. And the hydrogen-peroxide produced no bubbles when I used another dropper to let three drops fall onto the knife and baseball."

"Why only the hydrogen-peroxide?"

"The knife and baseball could have been cleaned with household chemicals, and household chemicals produce the same kind of reaction as blood when they come into contact with leuco-malachite green and phenolphthalein. Therefore any results found after testing with those chemicals would have a high chance of being wrong and would therefore weaken any case against a suspect instead strengthening it."

"Pass. Jacob Clark."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own CSI or the character Gil Grissom. I am not making money off this story, so don't sue me.

Anna turned and walked towards the door. As she passed her boyfriend, Jacob, she gave him a smile for good luck, and he blushed in return. "If you're done flirting Mr. Clark, perhaps you'd care to pass this class."

Jacob blushed even more, and hurried up to desk. "Mr. Clark, is there a reason why you didn't turn in a paper over the process and evidence of dusting for finger printing."

"Sir," he explained, "my computer crashed and my paper was deleted."

"Does that excuse mean you know how dust for fingerprints?" Grissom countered.

"Yes sir."

Grissom opened the case again and took out a brush, and a container of black charcoal powder. Turning to the white board, Grissom said, "Find the prints."

Jacob picked up the brush and lightly dipped it in the charcoal powder. Stepping up to the white board, Jacob lightly turned his hand back forth, causing the brush to move back and forth over the board. As he worked, Grissom asked him, "How is the powder finding the prints?"

"Sir," without stopping, Jacob stated, "Fingerprints contain oils. The powder is being brushed over the prints and the oils are causing the powder to stick to the prints, thus outlining the individual characteristics of the prints. For example, three characteristics are arches, whirls, and loops."

"Why would someone look for prints?"

"No one in the world has the exact same fingerprint as another person. If a fingerprint found at a crime scene is identified, then you will be able to tie the fingerprint owner to the scene and maybe have enough for a warrant to gather more evidence. Sir, I found four prints."

"Very good. Now preserve them."

Jacob walked back to the desk and picked up four white note cards and a roll of scotch tape. Walking back to the board, Jacob took a piece of tape and carefully put the middle of the tape lengthwise across the first print. Holding the ends of the tape, Jacob slowly pulled the tape up, and placing it on the first note card. Jacob repeated his actions three more times, and a few minutes later, presented Grissom with four preserved prints. "Why do we preserve prints?"

"Sir we preserve prints so that we can compare them to other prints and look for matching characteristics. If we left them on the surfaces we found them on, we would have a very hard time comparing them, especially if they were like on a wall or something."

"Pass."


End file.
